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EU misses own target - fast terrestrial Internet for 100% of households will not be achieved

June 13, 2018 - International telecommunications provider skyDSL, in cooperation with Eutelsat, the European telecoms satellite operator, will launch its new, widely available 50 Mbps flat rate today. With this offer, skyDSL surpasses its terrestrial counterparts, with 100% high-speed broadband coverage, even in rural or remote areas, in 20 European countries.

“This is fantastic news for all regions with insufficient or total lack of service”, says Jan Hesse, Managing Director, skyDSL Group. “Especially after the European Court of Auditors (ECA) outlined in its Special Report published a few days ago that fast broadband coverage is problematic in most Member States and still reaches less than 50% of rural areas in half of the Member States of the European Union. The Union's objective of giving all residents access to more than 30 Mbps is therefore unlikely to be achieved according to the report.”

In recent years, the Internet has not only become a basic requirement for everyday life in every household, but also an essential cornerstone for the economic and social development of all regions. All experts agree that ensuring fast Internet connections and access for everyone is essential for Europe's continued international competitiveness, also given the fact that otherwise entire regions would gradually be depopulated. This calls on politicians to create incentives for future technological developments that can actually benefit all citizens.

It is evident that there seems to be no real interest in installing fibre or xDSL-based technologies in rural areas. Construction and operation are also expensive and not economically viable, and would lead to a high investment that cannot and will not pay for itself in our technologically fast-moving times. Without further development of wireless technologies, a cycle will be set in motion which will result in social exclusion and impoverishment of populations in rural areas that will lead to an unwanted yet unavoidable outflow of people into cities due to the migration of companies.

Even if satellite Internet cannot yet fully compete with terrestrial offerings, it is the only real and sustainable answer to the question of how high-quality Internet access can be made available to all citizens in the future. Only satellite technology, in its nature of supplying everyone equally, is a modern and democratic technology, especially as the infrastructure investment per user is already lower today than for fibre or 5G.

Young people in particular increasingly rely solely on wireless technologies. It is therefore foreseeable that investments in terrestrial infrastructure will pay off less and less in the future. At the same time, international projects in the satellite sector show where the technology can go. LEO or MEO satellites for fast Internet or reception "without conventional" satellite antennas will contribute to a significant technological improvement in wireless technology via satellite. With that in mind, however, there is no doubt that there is a lot of catching-up to do across Europe. Today, more than ever, we must continue to secure our European prosperity through economically efficient and future-oriented investments.

skyDSL’s attractive Internet offer gives everyone the opportunity to use up to 50 Mbps of unlimited data, everywhere. The skyDSL2+ FLAT L Premium package, tailored to private customers, including satellite modem and telephony at a flat rate, costs 49.80 euros per month including the loyalty bonus. For corporate and professional users skyDSL also offers a range of high-speed Internet and backup solutions. The skyDSL satellite connections offer a genuine and attractive technology alternative and provide Internet access options to private customers and companies in rural areas that are comparable to the options available in urban areas.

skyDSL Europe B.V. and skyDSL Deutschland GmbH are subsidiaries of skyDSL Global GmbH, an international group of companies specialising in satellite broadband services in the telecommunications sector. skyDSL has been developing innovations in the satellite sector for 20 years and today offers products and solutions for satellite communication across 20 European countries.